Nett: SCORE finding traction in Hub City entrepreneur circles

Sunday

Sep 25, 2011 at 12:01 AM

It would seem the local SCORE chapter, defunct two years ago, has not only been resuscitated but is walking upright among us in Lubbock's entrepreneurial realm.

That's the good news Don Schenkel, Chapter 226's director, shared over a too-good lunch last week as at the chapter's annual meeting. SCORE is a nonprofit that educates entrepreneurs and helps small businesses.

In a way, SCORE's been relatively quiet since Schenkel was invited in to get the local chapter going again.

And it's gone in some surprising directions. We're not sure how many chapters have notched success by nudging authors to publish books, but Chapter 226 has actually shepherded a pair of writers into the business: Jeffrey DiQuattro and his book, "The Final Branch: Reflecting on the Heart of America"; and Kevin Mills, whose book "Baby Codes: 101 Winning Combinations to Help Your Baby Sleep" topped Amazon's Parenting & Families reference section last month.

I remember Don worrying early on about getting the word out, both to round up volunteer counselors and clients in need of counseling. It took time, but he's got some of each and plenty of both.

In the last 18 months, the SCORE files locally now stand at 182 active contacts - someone who's come in looking for advice on some aspect of starting a business or keeping one moving toward black ink in the ledger.

That's an average of 10 counseling clients a month. A good start, especially with a service that's free and confidential.

That said, the chapter does need to pick up a little bit of coin to operate on. It's putting on four low-cost Thursday night workshops in October - two each in Lubbock and Wolfforth - for folks thinking starting their own business is a good move, especially in some uncertain times.

They're first-step workshops that will give would-be entrepreneurs a chance to look over the edge and see if making the leap might be right for them.

The Oct. 6 and 13 workshops will be at 7 p.m. in the Wells Fargo Building's San Jacinto Room, 1500 Broadway. On Oct. 20 and 27, the workshops will be at 7 p.m. at the Wolfforth Library, 508 E. U.S. 62.

The fee is $20 in advance or $25 at the door.

So who should go? Anyone who's thinking about starting a business and maybe needs a little bit of boot camp to understand what it is they're leaping into - whether it's start-up financing, the legal work of licenses and taxes, finding a location, or honing your dream down to a manageable plan.

At lunch, Don shared the story of a client who'd come in looking for help after signing a deal on space and putting a lot of personal capital out for remodeling.

And that left the business owner cash-poor in terms of opening the doors and getting customers, when a little sound advice could have tracked down perhaps an SBA-guaranteed loan or other financing for the set-up, leaving working capital in the bank until it was time to make things happen.

OK. If you'd like to register for one of the workshops, ask about SCORE or make an appointment for counseling, mentoring, or even an on-site assessment, call the office at 472-7462, ext., 118, or shoot an email to score226@yahoo.com.

You'll be glad you did. So will I, because potential owners who take the time to get schooled have a far greater chance of success and growth.

Builders doing good

It's an interesting look toward the future, but in a way, the legacy of the West Texas Home Builders Association may be written not by the quality work or esteemed reputation of any one member but the collective decision of the members to create a nonprofit that's taking the Operation Finally Home concept and doing it big.

Operation Finally Home, as you may recall, is an effort that started with the Bay Area Builders Association in Houston that gets various home building associations to put up a new house for a veteran wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan, or the surviving spouse and family of a member of the Armed Forces killed in service over there.

It's a tribute to the kind of people Lubbock has that jaws didn't drop a few months ago when Robert Wood, local builders association president, announced the formation of Lubbock Homes for Heroes - a group that will take the concept past the North Pointe home built for Anthony and Jessica Villarreal.

The plan, Wood said in June when the builders gave the Villarreals the keys to their house, was to just keep on going with the kind of stone soup approach to erecting and furnishing homes for the vets and their families who've paid a dear price for the nation.

And at last week's monthly meeting, the effort got a boost from developer Charlie Hamilton, who raised more than $30,000 for the effort through a party at his newest venture, The Trails at Regal Park, during the summer Parade of Homes.

Artist Dan Dunn, who led a paint jam at the event, also donated a patriotic painting as a gift to the Villarreals.

To comment on this story:

walt.nett@lubbockonline.com • 766-8744

leesha.faulkner@lubbockonline.com • 766-8706

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